It is common practice at outdoor activities, such as sporting events, to lower the tailgate of a truck to provide a horizontal support surface for dining, seating, game playing or the like. However, for purposes of seating, the surface of a lowered tailgate is not comfortable, especially for extended periods of usage. Further, it is desirable to provide protection for the upper edge surface of the tailgate to preclude damage to the tailgate upper edge during usage either in the lowered position or in the upright closed position and for this purpose tailgate protectors are available for installation on the upper edge of the tailgate.